Shoe



Jan. 7, 1941-.

F. MACCARONE SHOE 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Original Filed June 5, 1937 INVENTOR F950 MHCCAROA/E ZTTORNEY Q.

Jan. 7, 1941. I MACCARQNE 2,228,149

' SHOE Original Filed June 5, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR 1 7?:0 Mace/wows ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 7, 1941 F. MAccARoNE SHOE Original Filed June 5, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 272-0 MACC/I/PO/VE BY a ATTO RN EYS Patented Jan. 7, 1941 PATENT OFFICE SHOE Fred Maccarone, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to The Del-Mac Shoe Process Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporationof New York Original application June 3, 1937, Serial No. 146,164. Divided and this application April 8, 1939, Serial No. 266,840

Claims.

This invention relates to shoes which embody skeleton insoles and complemental outsoles formed from common blanks, and to the methods employed in making shoes of this character. This 5 application is a division of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 148,164 filed June 3, 1937 and how U. S. Patent No. 2,164,754 dated July 4, 1939.

Heretoiore, it has been the common practice to divide a full blank of sole leather into complemental insole and outsole parts, each having an integral heel, shank, and ball portion, the division being accomplished in a splitting machine with the central area of the ball portion of the blank held out of the plane of the blade of the machine 5 by a die or template. In order to produce properly weighted sole members for the shoes, it is necessary to employ leather sole blanks of substantial thickness and as such heavy sole blanks are disproportionately more expensive than the lighter weights, large scale manufacturers supplying the low priced volume trade cannot afiord to practice these improved shoemaking methods and the superior flexibility and Wearing qualities of substantial single soled shoes of this type have not been made as widely available to the public as they might be if the shoes could be produced at less cost for sole stock.

Also, to maintain a maximum thickness of stock in the cutsole, the split-off skeleton. insoles have been made very thin. While this is an advantage contributing to flexibility in the forcpart of the shoe, the corresponding thinness of the insole through the shank and at the heel seat has generally required that the insole be reinforced by a separate shank piece in order to provide the rigidity necessary for proper balance and strength in the shoe and to insulate the foot of the wearer from usual steel shank reinforcement.

It is a principal object of my present invention, therefore, to provide an improved shoe of this character which may be produced at less cost, the sole members comprising an outsole of substantial thickness and a skeleton insole having lightness and flexibility in the forepart but having a comparatively stiff and heavy shank portion.

Another object is to provide an improved method or" making my new shoe in which the advantages of the prior methods above referred to are maintained and other and additional advantages are realized, all as; Will be pointed out more particularly in the following specification.

In dividing common blanks in splitting machines to form light skeletonized insoles and complemcntal outsoles, I have found that the action of the rolls of the machine tend to stretch and Warp (Cl. 3Ei-2.5)

the light insole formed from the more spongy flesh side of the blank, with the result that the divided portions of the blank do not exactly complement each other. my present invention to provide an improved method whereby the forepart insole portions of the common blanks are reinforced during the splitting operations and to provide improved means for this purpose, said means also serving to reinforce the iorepart of the insole during the subsequent lasting operations. Other and further objects will appear from the following detailed specification.

Referring to the drawings which form a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side edge elevation of a shank and heel piece, and

Figure 2 is a similar View of a short, thick sole t is therefore a further object of f blank of grain leather prepared in accordance I with my invention.

Figure 3 is a side edge elevation showing a full composite sole blank formed by joining the shank piece and the sole blank in overlapping relation.

Figure 4 is a plan View of my improved means the insole portion of the blank being reinforced by the means illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a View similar to Figure 6 showing the insole and outsole portions of the blank provided.

Figure 8 is a perspective View of my improved shoe as it appears on a last before attachment of the outsole and the heel.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a covered wood heel of a known type well suited for shoes of my improved construction.

Figure 10 is a View similar to Figure 8 illustrating the lasted shoe with outsole and heel attached, the heel portion of the shoe being shown partly in section to disclose the neat fitting relationship of the parts, and

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section of the completed shoe.

Figure 12 is a detail sectional view similar to Fig. 11 taken through the margin of the shoe at the counter portion to clearly disclose the relationship of the lasting margin of the upper to the sole members.

In carrying out my invention I provide a substantial shank piece 20 which may be of stiff inexpensive leather, leatherboard, fibre or like material, the forward end portion being skivecl or beveled on the underside to a feather edge at 2|. I also provide a short grain leather sole blank 22 of substantial thickness which is beveled adjacent its rearward end at 23 on the flesh side. For reasons which will become more apparent hereafter when the splitting operation is discussed, the bevel at 23 extends to a depth approximately equal to the thickness of the forepart margins of the insole.

The forward portion of the shank piece is then firmly secured by adhesive over the rearward portion of the sole on the flesh side thereof to form a composite sole blank 25, as shown in Figure 3, the parts overlapping endwise to obtain a double thickness of material throughout the entire intermediate portion of the composite blank for a distance corresponding to the length of the shank portion of the shoe and said double thickness being gradually reduced through a section adjacent the forward end of the shank piece, by reason of the taper formed on the shank piece at 2|, and through a section adjacent the rearward end of the sole 22, by reason of the bevel at 23.

The grain leather sole blank is of a length amply sufficient for the shank and forepart portions of the shoe but does not include material for the heel area, thereby saving the cost of sole leather at the heel. This saving is a substantial one whereas the cost of the shank piece is little more than that of the usual shank piece ordinarily incorporated in shoes of this type.

The composite blank is then rounded to size and shape as indicated by the line at 26 in Figure 5, the rounding being effectedin relation to the double thickness of the blank so that such double thickness will occur through the shank portion of the rounded sole. A perpendicular marginal cut or incision 21 extending to the depth of the desired insole may also be made to define and initially form the insole, and this cut may be made during the rounding operation in accordance with the principles taught in my U. S. Patent Nos. 2,012,913 and 2,012,915 of August 27, 1935.

Before dividing the composite blank and either before or after it is rounded, I prefer to reinforce the exposed flesh surface of the sole leather part 22, that is to say the forepart of the insole portion of the blank, by an adhesively applied patch 30 comprising a thin layer of gum impregnated fabric 3i and a layer of tough thin paper 32, the laminated layers being shaped to substantially cover the, central forepart area of the blank but leaving exposed a sufficient margin to receive the upper parts of the shoe to be lasted to the insole. No glue or adhevise other than the gum carried by the fabric 31 is required for attachment of the patch, so that it may be readily stripped off subsequently without impairing the surface of the sole, and the patch may be reused an indeterminate number of times.

The rounded composite blank, thus reinforced, is then divided along the line :c-a: of Figure 6 into a composite skeleton insole 40 and a short unitary outsole 45, as shown in Figure '7. The division is preferably effected in a splitting machine by passing the blank therethrough in contact with a die which holds the central forepart portion of the blank out of the plane of the blade of the machine. During this operation the patch 30 reinforces the forepart of the insole portion of the blank and prevents the split-off insole from becoming stretched or warped by the action of the rolls of the machine or by the die. Machines as at present equipped may be employed since the splitting about the forepart margins and through the shank portion is effected in planes parallel to the grain surface of the short leather sole 22, and it has been found that no special care is necessary to preserve the patch 30, the gummed fabric surface of which resists incision by the blade of the machine. Since the incision 27 extends to the splitting plane, the margins of the insole 40 are trimmed to proper insole size and shape in the course of the splitting operation, a chip 42 falling away as scrap.

As shown, the insole 40 comprises the shank piece 20 and a piece 4| split from the flesh side of the short leather sole 22, said pieces overlapping throughout the entire shank portion. Inasmuch as the short sole 22 was reduced at its rearward end by the bevel 23, and since the splitting takes place through the shank in a plane parallel to the grain surface of the sole, the rearward end of the split-off portion of the insole is likewise beveled, forming a sloping shoulder at 43 on the lower surface of the composite insole. The forepart of the insole has a central opening extending over areas underlying the patch 30, the margins of the opening being skived or beveled on a long angle and to a feather edge at 44.

The outsole 45, comprising the grain side of the leather sole 22, is of substantial weight and is reduced about the forepart margins and rearwardly by the removal of the piece 4| of the insole, the split surfaces being counterparts as will be readily understood, and the central forepart of the outsole retains the full thickness of the original leather sole blank, forming an island-like projection 46 exactly complemental to the insole opening.

Formed and reinforced as above described, the insole may be channeled, if the lasting method to be employed so requires, and is then temporarily secured to a last 50. a An upper 51 including a lining 52 and a counter 53, is pulled over the last and secured to the margins of the insole by cementing or other means in any of the ways which may be suitable. In this connection it is desired to point out that the outwardly facing margin of the lasted insole forwardly of the heel presents a uniform split leather surface well calculated to support a channel and/or to obtain a proper adhesive bond with the lasting margin of the upper parts. During lasting the patch 30 continues to reinforce the insole forepart, holding the light rand-like margin in position against the strains of the lasting operations.

The reduced thickness of the composite insole at the heel portion amply compensates for the additional thickness of the marginal parts of the upper occasioned by the counter 53, and the sloping shoulder 43 on the insole subtends at an angle substantially corresponding to the bevel of the skived margins ordinarily found on counters, so that the upper parts lie smoothly over the insole. Intermediate the overlasted edges of the upper parts, the broad, bifurcated end portion of a steel shank stiffener 55 is positioned to fill the major part of the balance of the reduced insole portion at the heel. The steel stiffener is of standard construction and is crowned and covered with tape 56 at the shank portion of the shoe.

The short outsole 45 is then laid and attached, by cement or other means, the island-like projection registering with the opening in the forepart of the insole, whereafter a heel is attached to the shoe and any necessary finishing operations are performed.

The heel illustrated is of a novel construction forming no part of this invention. It is made preferably of wood covered with fabric El and has an arcuate groove formed therein adjacent its seat at 62 on the breast side for receiving the rear end of the outsole, the upper wall of the groove being defined by an integral tongue 63 which projects toward the shank of the shoe between the sole members, thus interlocking the breast portion of the heel with the outsole and obtaining a very sturdy construction.

Except for the interlocking of the outsole in the heel groove 62, the heel is attached in a manner usual in attaching wood heels, initial attachment being by cement and thereafter a screw 65 is extended through the insole and the bifurcate portion of the shank stiffener into the heel, nails 6666 etc. also being used as a common auxiliary means of securement.

After removal of the last, the patch 3!! may be removed from the inside of the shoe and a sock lining T0 is ordinarily inserted. The finished shoe, made as above described, will be found to possess a highly flexible forepart having a substantial single wearing thickness of sole leather at the central area, the easy walking qualities of the shoe being enhanced by the extremely sturdy shank construction.

I claim:

1. That improvement in a shoe having an outsole terminating adjacent the forward end of its heel portion, comprising a composite insole Whose composite parts comprise a flexible layer of leather having a skeletonized ball portion and an integral shank portion terminating in a bevelled end adjacent the forward end of said heel portion of said shoe, and a relatively stiff layer of material having a heel portion and an integral shank portion terminating in a feathered edge adjacent the rearward end of the ball portion, said layers being secured together through the shank portion of the shoe on the flesh side of said flexible layer, the said shank portions of said two layers overlapping in the shank portion of said shoe and providing a double maximum thickness in said shank portion of said shoe which reduces in thickness both adjacent the heel and ball portions of said shoe, and the thickness of said composite insole in the ball and heel portions of said shoe being respectively that of the said single layers of leather and stiff material.

2. That improvement in a shoe having heel, shank and ball portions, comprising a composite insole whose composite parts comprise a flexible layer of leather having a skeletonizedball portion and an integral shank portion terminating in a bevelled edge adjacent the forward end of the heel portion of said shoe, and a separate relatively stiff layer of material having a heel portion and an integral shank portion terminating in a bevelled edge adjacent the rearward end of the ball portion of said shoe, said layers being secured together through the shank portion of the shoe, the shank portions of said two layers overlapping in the shank portion of said shoe and providing double layer of maximum thickness thereat which reduces from said maximum thickness to the respective single layer thicknesses in both the heel and ball portions of said shoe.

3. That improvement in a shoe having heel, shank and ball portions, a short outsole extending in the ball and shank portions, and an upper having a counter reinforcement lining, comprising a composite insole to which said upper, counter and outsole are lasted, said composite insole comprising a flexible layer of leather having a ball portion and an integral shank portion terminating adjacent the forward end of the heel portion, and a separate relatively stiff layer of material having a heel portion and an integral shank portion terminating adjacent the rearward end of the ball portion, said layers being secured together on the flesh side of said leather layer through the shank portion of the shoe and the rearward end of said leather layer being beveled to form a transverse sloping shoulder on the underside of the insole, the said shank portions of said two layers overlapping in the shank portion of said shoe and providing a double layer of maximum thickness thereat which reduces from said maximum thickness to the respective single layer thicknesses in both the heel and ball portions of said shoe, and said counter reinforcement having its forward margin skived and positionedto underlie said sloping shoulder.

4. That improvement in a shoe having heel, shank and forward portions, an upper and a counter reinforcement lining whose forward margin is skived, comprising an insole having a heel portion, a shank portion and a forward portion with the area in said heel portion thereof of reduced thickness relative to that in said shank portion, said area being defined by a transverse sloping shoulder on the underside of the insole, and said counter reinforcement lining the upper and having its margin underlying the insole at said area of reduced thickness, the forward skived margin of said reinforcement underlying said sloping shoulder.

5. In a shoe having heel, shank and ball portions, a heel having a breast portion, an outsole whose rear end is secured in the breast portion of said heel, an upper and a counter reinforcement having a skived forward margin, that improvement comprising a composite insole whose composite parts comprise a flexible layer of leather having a skeletonized ball portion and an integral shank portion terminating adjacent the forward end of the heel portion and a separate layer of material having a heel portion and an integral shank portion terminating adjacent the rearward end of the ball portion, said layers being secured together through the shank portion of the shoe and the rearward end of said leather layer being beveled to form a transverse sloping shoulder on the underside of the insole, the shank portions of said two layers overlapping in the shank portion of said shoe and providing double layer of maximum thickness thereat which reduces from said maximum thickness to the respective single layer thicknesses in both the heel and ball portions of said shoe, and said counter reinforcement lining the upper and having its forward skived margin positioned to underlie said sloping shoulder.

FRED MACCARONE. 

